Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Argentina World Cup coverage praised Lionel Scaloni’s team despite Sunday’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the final. The loss carried added emotion because the tournament is likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup.
Clarin placed a photograph of Lionel Messi crying on its front page beneath the headline: “They gave it their all: [there is] nothing to blame them for.” La Nacion also described the Argentina national football team as the pride of the country.
Read how Ferran Torres fired Spain past Argentina to win the 2026 World Cup in a tense final.
Pagina 12 acknowledged that Spain controlled the match before scoring during the second half of extra time. Ole adopted a similar tone by celebrating the long-term standing of Lionel Scaloni’s squad.
Former Argentina international Marcelo Gallardo said the semifinal against England had drained the players emotionally. Marcelo Gallardo also noted that Spain’s ball retention prevented Argentina from recovering possession and building attacks.
Lionel Scaloni left his post-match press conference in tears and raised doubts about his future as head coach. “You have to pick yourself up again. When you leave everything like that, it’s very hard to find fault with anything.”
Argentine president Javier Milei noted that the national team had reached three finals and won one title across the past four World Cups. Supporters can find tournament information through the official FIFA World Cup website.
The Argentine Football Association confirmed that some players would return home on Monday, although no public celebrations were announced.
